Channel 4 ‘launch bid to overturn 12 month ban and get The Great British Bake Off on the air sooner’

Channel 4 are pulling out all the stops to get Bake Off, with judge Paul Hollywood, on their listings ASAP (Picture: BBC/Love Productions)

Channel 4 are apparently beginning a legal battle to get their version of The Great British Bake Off on air before the agreed 12 month ‘hold-back’ period is up.

Love Productions and Channel 4 previously vowed to observe the ‘hold back clause’ written into their sales contract, and not produce a new installment until the last episode has been shown on its original channel.

But The Sunday People claims there is a legal ‘loophole’, and a ‘strong’ legal argument to be made against this — because the BBC aren’t likely to make money on the Bake Off brand as long as it is off the television.

Mary Berry won’t be appearing on the show as she has her own new one to worry about (Picture: BBC)

The Beeb lost Bake Off to their rival channel earlier this year after they shelled out £75million for it. Judge Paul Hollywood has said farewell to the BBC and stuck with the programme, unlike Mary Berry, Sue Perkins or Mel Giedroyc.

Now an industry insider claims: ‘The BBC have what is known in the trade as a hold-back clause. It’s something they insist on as standard with all their shows.

‘But with Bake Off the situation is slightly different, because even though the BBC has lost the show, they still have the commercial rights for several more years.

Mel, Paul, Mary, and Sue, all together for the final time on the BBC (Picture: Love Productions)

‘They’re duty-bound by their own policy to maximise the commercial return on their own intellectual property rights — which covers merchandise — and keeping Bake Off away from screens is not going to help with that.

‘That could well form the basis of a strong legal argument to get the show on air sooner.’

Candice Brown won the last series of the show (Picture: BBC/Love Productions)